A Year of Falling
by A. Lee
Summary: A year in the life of James Potter and Lily Evans


_September 1975_

The summer before Fifth Year, Potter apparently trained at some elite Quidditch camp in France (rich bastard). It only ever registered on Lily's radar because he came back with a toned arse, a renewed interest in the opposite sex, and a handful of pick-up lines cribbed from the French.

While Sirius made salacious comments, waggled his eyebrows, and charmed the girls with his outrageous behavior, James took a more suave approach. Before she knew it, the two of them had half the girls at Hogwarts swooning. Including Lily's closest friends.

"But he's such an asshole," Lily said crossly as Marlene sighed. "I really don't know what the big fuss is."

"Lily, where is your sex drive?" Marlene laughed. "We're not talking about his personality – we're talking about that _chiseled physique_ and those _dreamy eyes_."

"Ugh, gag me now. Did you just say 'chiseled physique'? What is this, a romance novel? Next you'll be talking about his _throbbing manhood_."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind getting me a look at that, either," Marlene said in a low, wicked voice, delighting in Lily's scandalized gasp.

"Come now, Lily," Alice said as she pored over her notes. "I agree that James Potter is an arrogant ass, but you cannot deny that the man is very aesthetically pleasing." She tilted her head. "An aspect that does probably extend to his equipment, as well," she added, eyes sparkling.

"Alice!" Lily said, faking a swoon. "I never knew my friends were so … _lustful_."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alice said primly. "I was referring to his broomstick."

"Which one?" Marlene smirked.

Lily threw quills at the both of them before all three descended into giggles. They finally quieted at the librarian's stern reprimand, doing their best to rein in their hysteria.

Lily sighed. "Unlike you, I just can't separate his physical form from his most unfortunate personality," Lily said, then, "Wait, why do you have _Occludus_ down as a Transformational Charm? I have it in my notes as Transmogrifying."

"Are you two seriously revising for the O.W.L.s already?" Marlene complained. "We're barely three weeks into first term. Take some time off and admire the arses on those Quidditch boys." So saying, she leaned to get a better look out the window.

"I knew we shouldn't have sat here," Alice rolled her eyes. "Marlene can never concentrate when there are cute boys distracting her. And the text says that _Occludus_ functions on a transformational level. I assumed that it implied classification as a Transformational Charm. It is possible I was mistaken."

"Which text?"

"Oh," Marlene groaned and turned away from the sight of the ravishing boys. "You two are so ridiculous. Studying on such a fine day like this." Despite her words, she too, flipped through her notes. "I have that Transmogrifying Charms are a subset of Transformational."

Lily frowned, and Alice leaned over to look at her notes. As a result, none of them noticed when James Potter flew by to scoop up an out-of-bounds Quaffle, and paused to observe the three pretty heads through the window, two serious-looking brunettes and one brilliant redhead.

"Oi, Potter, what's taking so long!" a voice jolted him out of his reverie. James Potter cast one look back at the pretty tableau, then zoomed back down to the pitch.

"Cool your cauldrons, Heffner," he retorted. "I'll come in my own sweet time – it's why the girl's flock to me and not to you. 'Cuz unlike you, I've got _stamina_."

Lily looked up and out the window as the Quidditch boys seemed to raucously cackle about something. She sighed. Neanderthals.

--

_November 1975_

"Hey Evans," a familiar (obnoxious) voice said behind her as she made her way through the Great Hall.

"What do you want, Potter?" she scowled as she turned to face him.

"There's a spot open here, if you would like," he offered, patting the bench beside him. She'd almost fall for the innocent face if she weren't well-acquainted with his devilish nature.

"I'm sitting with my friends," she said shortly.

"There's room for them, too," he said, frowning at the First Years sitting next to them. Sensing his displeasure, they _meep_-ed and scooted over, instantaneously creating two more spots. "See?"

"As much as I hate to turn down your offer," Lily began sarcastically.

"Thanks, James!" Marlene cut in before she could finish, sliding into the seat right next to Potter. "Alice, Lily, hurry up and sit down before someone takes the seats."

Potter looked slightly disconcerted, which Lily took some perverse satisfaction in as she settled herself between Alice and Marlene. With good reason, too, as Sirius Black slid into the next seat over, and began trying to charm Alice.

"So James, why don't you tell me more about France?" Marlene asked from her left.

"So Alice, did anyone ever tell you? Your smile is just like _expelliarmus_ – simple, yet disarming."

Lily groaned. It was going to be a long lunch.

--

_February 1976_

"Lily," a voice called out behind her, and Lily automatically turned, only to see Potter.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"You know there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up …" he insinuated, and she had to resist the urge to wipe the arrogant smirk off his face.

"Yeah, so?" Her tone was decidedly more confrontational.

"So I was thinking we could get some Butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks together," he said casually, "and then after-"

"No."

"-we could- what?"

"I said _no_, Potter. I don't know why you're even asking. I'd never go anywhere with you, even if you were the last boy on Earth." She didn't even bother tossing her hair at him, just spun and left.

"Well, mate," Sirius said, clapping his hand on James's shoulder and holding back a grin. "Guess you're out of luck with that one."

"Out of luck?" James Potter's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I've only just begun. You know there's nothing I like more than a challenge."

--

_April 1976_

"So Lily," a voice breathed next to her ear, and Lily did her best not to scream. "What do you say to some ice cream at Puddifoot's?"

"No," she hissed at him, "for the billionth time. When are you going to give up and leave me alone?"

"You, my dear lily-flower, are a precious jewel I wouldn't ever give up for all the Galleons in the world-"

"Shove it, Potter."

"If you're doing the shoving, Lily, I'd-"

"Am I interrupting something, Miss Evans, Mister Potter?" Professor McGonagall's ice-cold voice cut through their conversation.

Lily flushed bright red, but James merely flashed an incorrigible grin at his head-of-house. "Why Professor McGonagall, as a matter of fact, you _are_. I was in the middle of charming the lovely Miss Evans into spending the weekend in my loving embrace."

"Your arrogant arse!" Lily shrieked. "I oughta-"

"Excuse me," Professor McGonagall said, and all action ceased as the entire class turned their attention away from the squabbling James and Lily to the Professor. "This is a classroom, so you would do well to restrict your flirting to more _private_ locations. Detention for both of you. And twenty points from Gryffindor." Her eyes narrowed. "Another sound out of either of you, and I'll make it fifty, have I made myself clear?"

Both students meekly nodded.

"Now, as I was saying about the Borrealon Paradox …"

--

_June 1976_

When James Potter snuck outside to lay the underpinnings for the Marauders' final prank of the year, he hadn't expected to come across a sobbing Lily Evans.

All thoughts of mischief flew out of his head as he approached her with genuine concern. "Lily? Are you alright?"

"Go away, Potter," she heaved between sobs.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," James said staunchly. "I know you don't like me much, but that doesn't mean I can't help, or listen, or something. Gryffindor solidarity, right?"

Lily just sobbed harder.

Having a sneaking suspicion what this might be about, he leaned closer. "Is this … about Sniv- Severus?"

"What do you care?" Lily cried, "You've never liked him. In fact, you and your crew are always awful around him."

"No, I don't really like him but I know he's your friend," James said uneasily, "and even though I've never understood what you saw in that slimy git …" he cut himself off, realizing this was neither the time nor place. "You've always been good friends," he continued hastily, "but I don't think you've talked much lately."

Now was perhaps not the best time to mention he'd been keeping track of her on the Marauder's Map, and had noticed she'd stopped talking to Snape entirely over the past week.

"We broke up," Lily finally said between sobs.

"You … were going out?" James ventured, trying his best to sound comforting and not jealous or confused.

"No, but we were friends. I _thought_ we were really good friends," Lily sighed. "He was my first real friend, and now we're not friends anymore and everything's gone wrong and I hate this year."

She'd stopped crying, at least. Now she was just staring off into space. James opted for silence.

"In primary school," Lily finally began, "none of the other kids would talk to me because they all thought I was strange. Except for Tunie- I mean Petunia. That's my sister. I didn't really have any friends.

"And then one day I met Sev. That's what I called him, then. He was the first person who really _talked_ to me, besides Petunia, and _she_ didn't count because she was family. He was my first friend. And he was the one who introduced me to magic."

As she went on, James was a little startled to realize this was probably the longest conversation they'd had in his memory, discounting the ones that'd ended in raised voices and exchanged insults.

"I know he's not the nicest person in the world, though-" and here she leveled a glare at James "-nowhere near as horrible as you and your crew, but I've always called him on his actions in the past. Now, though, he's running around with his … his … his proto-Death Eater crew, and they've been filling up his head, I just know it!"

James nodded at all the right places, and worked his best at listening and not saying the things he really wanted to say, like, "That's what you get for hanging around with Slytherins" or "Should have known someone from _that_ family would turn bad" or even "_I_ would never call you Mudblood." He didn't know this, but that self-control was the first sign of maturity.

Lily sighed. "I told him last week that we couldn't be friends if he was going to get mixed up in that bunch, messing around with the dark arts, spouting that crap about pureblood supremacy. And I know I said it and I know we haven't talked since, but it didn't really hit me until today."

James made encouraging noises.

"Today, I was walking and I saw him with those vile friends of his, and he turned to me and said, 'What are you looking at, Mudblood?' And they sniggered and walked off and it was all I could do not to hex him on the spot. But it hurt … so much more than I thought it would."

James awkwardly patted Lily on the back, but she seemed done with her tears now. They just sat there in companionable silence for a while, before Lily shook herself. She wiped her eyes with her hands, and then stood up and smiled at him, for the first time that he could remember.

"Thanks, Potter," she said. "I know how hard it must have been to control your obnoxious personality and just listen," she continued but the smile took all the bite out of her tone, "and I- just, thanks." Her eyes narrowed. "Though if you repeat a word I have told you to anyone, I won't hesitate to hex your bollocks into next week."

Then she spun around and walked off, her shoulders proud, her head held high, no sign that she'd been devastated mere moments before.

As he watched her leave, he felt something stir inside him. That was the moment the pursuit of Lily Evans became more than a thing of pride, more than "the girl that got away," more than proving he could land any girl he wanted.

That was the moment he fell in love with Lily Evans. He couldn't tell you if it was her strength, the depths of her friendships, her principles, the resilience of her moods, or just the way her arse swayed as she walked away. But that was the moment he decided he would marry Lily Evans if it killed him.

(It only took him a year and a half to get her to agree.)


End file.
